What do you know about augmented reality?

In the first of our week of shows from the SXSW conference and festival in Austin, Texas, the Stream speaks to the mayor of London and explores immersive storytelling and journalism.

London is home to more than 40,000 technology businesses that contribute tens of thousands of jobs for the city’s economy. And Sadiq Khan, London’s mayor recently announced a series of new initiatives to further boost the tech sector, and improve the quality of live for its citizens. With his “Smart London” plan, Khan hopes to make London a city equipped for the future.

We’ll ask Sadiq Khan how his city is examining both the potential risks and great opportunities presented by technology, the creativity that is making his city smart, and what it will take to improve the diversity in London’s tech workforce.

In the second part of the show we’ll take a look at augmented reality/virtual reality and immersive storytelling. Is it a fad, or the way of the future?

Augmented reality is being used in fields as varied as journalism to medicine and education. It’s a way to take the user a part of an experience taking them into a whole new world, transcending space and time. It allows voyeurism and immersion. But what are the impacts?

We’ll talk about the process of making immersive stories, the costs and the benefits and also explore the ethical implications of making augmented reality stories meaningful, as well as playful.